Netherlands: Consumer confidence ticks up for the first time in nine months
Following eight consecutive drops in consumer confidence, sentiment among Dutch consumer ticked up in April to minus 3 from minus 4 in March. As a result, the headline figure matched the long-term average of minus 3 over the last 20 years.
April’s print, moreover, reflected a stable outlook on the economic climate in the Netherlands, which was driven by a slightly less rosy view on the economy in the past 12 months being offset by a less pessimistic outlook on the economy in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, consumers’ willingness to buy edged up but remained in negative territory. The improvement was due to households’ better view on purchasing big ticket items. Households’ financial situation in the next 12 months and the past 12 months was unchanged compared to March’s print.